Be patriotic - stimulate the economy!

I felt it my duty today, as a patriotic American, to help stimulate the economy. I took my three grown daughters and the youngest grandchild Christmas shopping today. We bought tons of toys at Toys R Us, then we went to my favorite oyster bar for drinks, grouper, shrimp, and of course, OYSTERS!

Look, pals, I can't do it all on my own - even though my kids might disagree. You need to help your local economy, too. lol

You might remember Brooklynn (in my present avatar pic). She's the one who was born with the heart defect. She seems to be doing well now!

I have been toy hunting here in Australia and it is near impossible to find locally made toys.It looks to me that 99% of the toys have a stamp or mark somewhere, no matter how tiny that says "Made in China"

On another forum an American was saying how China and others are relying on America and the west to buy their goods.

The truth is that both China and India have a huge untapped domestic market coming on stream that can and will absorb the home grown product and do not care what happens to western markets.

Wake up America, you need to buy American wherever and whenever you can.

I was surprised to discover that we are "making" even today. Not long ago I had to buy "tons" of basic glassware for a big party, and we discovered that at least some Anchor Hocking glassware and Libbey glassware is made in the US. So is the color-themed candy is ordered. The inexpensive glassware was kind of a surprise especially since we bought it really, really, cheap and saw it in other places for ten times more. The rest of the decorations - all made in China. I have a feeling the US doesn't even make that kind of stuff any more.

As for the economy (worlwide and US), our family generally starts stimulating economies like crazy at the beginning of November (this year's party aside) and keeps right on doing that until the end of May. (Oh, to have had more people in the family have the August birthday one of my kids' has..... )

If you wanted to buy all those things, and you could afford to, then great! No rationalization is necessary. But I don't think anyone can or should save the economy by spending unnaturally out of ulterior motives (even "unselfish" ones). The economy works best when we each do what is right for us.

Aya, my original post was done tongue-in-cheek. I wasn't spending to stimulate the economy - I was just doing my regular Christmas shopping. That said, judging from the number of shoppers and "buyers" we saw yesterday, the US economy should be getting a pretty good shot in the arm! lol

Thanks for the comment about my little princess! I now have my middle daughter's pic in my avatar.

I quite agree - get out there and stimulate the economy, here in China they are working flat out to supply all the toys. The more these guys earn the better life gets

Just kidding - glad Brooklynn is doing well, my sister was a 'hole in the heart' baby about 65 years ago when there was nothing could be done, it broke my mothers heart when she died at just under two years old. I hope Brooklynn has a long and happy life.

No use crying the blues that buying local or buying "Made In (My country)" is too expensive. Of course it costs more sometimes, but think of the good you are doing for your own economy, and the jobs security of trades-people that made those goods!

I can still find products that are sort of made in America. It will say assembled in America, which means all the components were made elsewhere, and it was all put together here. I have found some things that are still made in America, but it is getting more and more rare. At least if it is assembled in America, there are Americans with a job putting it all together. I do know that a lot of the medical supplies our hospital uses is made in America, primarily Illinois.

I used to sell mostly American and Australian car hoists, engine analyzers, wheel balancers etc. The quality was superb.

I sold my business and got out of auto workshop equipment because I refused to sell the dangerous 9th rate crap that was imported from Asia and being sold by an unscrupulous opposition 10 times my size and totally void of any morals. Young kids have to stand under these death traps with a 2 tonne car on it!

Hoists with hydraulic rams that burst because they forgot to machine the ram tube, seals that broke in your hand when you tried to fit a new one, little or no spare parts, disgusting customer service, dangerous accidents from parts disintegrating, I could go on all night.

You may find a child's toy that is not dangerous or full of lead, but the workshop equipment where good metallurgy and engineering are vital..... Forget it!

You are a little out of date Earnest ! Everything I see around me here from the bits for my electric scooter to the machines working day and night making new roads everywhere are good quality - and the motorbikes are excelent. The issue with cheap crap is that China will sell anything to anyone if the price is right - and some western importers are as you say, unscrupulous. If they paid a tiny bit more they would get the real deal stuff

for kids toys I buy things which are not Made in China, Made in USA, more durable. But for my clothes and accessories, it doesn't matter where it is made..I buy the cheaper ones, but in style so that I can buy often..

I had a personal experience with things made in China, when I was still living in the Phils, all the pirated CDs (I could watch films which will be released two weeks in advance) came from China, bags and shoes which are all imitations and very cheap. CDs are as cheap as ten cents of a dollar BUT YOUR EYES WILL SUFFER and it is not right, copyright. How about those who cant wait and doesn't have money to buy the original CDS, you can't blame them,

I had a bad experience when I visited Paris, I was curious and visited Louis Vuitton store, when I was about to enter the store a couple -- Chinese approached me and told me if I could buy them a specific wallet, they showed me the picture and they gave me money to buy it. 300 hundred euros for a wallet, hmmm. I said yes and they told me they will wait outside the store. I didn't think about what was wrong at that time, they just told me they bought a lot already and they are only allowed to buy some for a day.When I saw the specific wallet, I approached the saleslady and with an escort she told me I can't buy it, then she told me that they have a video cam outside the store and they saw the Chinese couple who approached me, They said they are tired with Asian people specially Chinese who goes to the store to buy stuff and just copy them.

Many Chinese do that always the salesgirl told me. Then I said what If I buy a wallet on my own money because I wanted to have one, I can't still buy she said because they need to check if I have a history of buying in their store already which I don't have.

I then went out of the store, and throw the money at the Chinese couple.

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